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Solid Perfume Lovelies from Dabney Rose

Since I am a natural perfume blogger, it should come as no surprise that I prefer scents that wear close to the skin and refrain from too much public boasting. I also like that they (typically) don’t last into the next day or cling to my clothes like a tenacious sheet of Bounce. In the realm of fragrance, this tender intimacy is best captured in solid perfumes; fragrant balms applied with fingertips and softened by the warmth of touch.

Dabney Rose has created two beautiful solid perfumes, Amberleah and Rose Aimée, that are indeed intimate skin-scents but with a flirty, girlish playfulness. Rose Aimée is the more youthful of these two lovelies, bearing half opened buds of roses that are bereft of overripe powdery sweetness or earthy decay. Rose Aimée is dewy and honeyed, she’s pristine and a little childlike in her beauty but entirely suitable for a grown woman.

Rose Aimée has a fitting name as I do adore her, but I would love her even more if she weren’t so *fleeting. I know I just mentioned that I actually prefer the ephemeral quality of most natural perfumes, but Rose Aimée leaves a little too soon as the fragrance holds at about an hour and I’ve gotten used to most naturals lasting at least three, if not longer. I need to experiment with layering but I hope my next pot of Rose Aimée is longer lasting, but even if it’s not I will still revel in this beloved, or aimée, perfume. (Dabney, if you’re reading, I think Rose Aimée would make a fabulous body butter or soap!)

*Update: Dabney let me know that I had an older version of Rose Aimée and sent me her new formulation. The newer Rose Aimée is just as soft and lovely as the original, but does indeed last longer and the rose is a bit more pronounced. Love it even more now!

Amberleah, being the more mature of these two jeune filles, is not as shy as Rose Aimée as she’s willing to stick around longer and share her gourmand essences with not only the wearer, but those who lean in a little closer. Amberleah is true to her name with a delicious amber base of labdanum, benzoin, and vanilla. This aromatic triad sets the tone for a sweet and cozy scent that beckons for a warm fire and a plush blanket. Orange blossoms heighten Amberleah’s sweetness with a floral flourish and a tincture of ghee provides a buttery slip. Cardamom is also present in the mix and because it is a sweet spice, it also augments the sugared texture of Amberleah. Cardamom is warm and slightly earthy as well which brings out the resinous, mossy quality of labdanum.

So whether it’s a youthful rose or a sweet amber you prefer, get ready for some playful cuddling when you wear either one of these natural beauties.

All fragrances created by Dabney are 100% natural and the solid perfumes are in a base of organic jojoba oil and locally sourced beeswax. She also makes wonderful hydrosols and liquid perfumes which I have previously reviewed).

Dabney Rose solid perfumes are $25 for a 0.25 ounce tin or $55 for a 0.25 ounce brass compact in a handmade vintage kimono silk pouch: at DabneyRose.com

Disclosure: Samples were sent to me for consideration by Dabney Rose. The opinions in this review are my own. I was not financially compensated for this review or any other.

I’m very fortunate to own both these sweet balms.
I find Amberleah profoundly comforting as well as beautifully fragranced, with gentle, steady staying power. Perfect for cold, damp or blustery days, and snuggled beneath a scarf on our necks.
Rose Aimée is indeed gentle, playful and a little shy. I don’t know which version I have. I wear her when I want a whipser of scent around me.